13:05, 26 January 2008

US Congress to consider a resolution condemning Hrant Dink's murder

In the near future, the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress will consider Resolution No. 102, which condemns the murder of Hrant Dink, evaluates his heritage and calls on Turkey to step towards defence of the freedom of speech by liquidating Article 301. This is the information of the Armenian Assembly of America.

According to the information, Congressman Joseph Crawly who brought the resolution to consideration has called the Congress to pay tribute to the memory of journalist and human rights defender Hrant Dink by promoting immediate cancellation of Article 301 of the Criminal Code of Turkey. As he said, this Article that imposes criminal liability for public condemnation of the genocide of Armenians was one of the reasons that had led to Hrant Dink's murder.

"To the present day, citizens of Turkey live under a threat of this 'shutting-up' provision. Hrant Dink's son was also prosecuted by the court under the same Article for republishing an article from his father's newspaper," the Congressman has stated at the House of Representatives.

Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent